Putin-Trump call a curveball for Zelensky ahead of White House meeting

President Zelensky walked into the Oval Office on Friday, expecting to find a long-awaited lifeline for his battered country. Instead, he found himself having to explain why US President Donald Trump's willingness to arm Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles was looking increasingly uncertain.

It was a surprise twist in the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has seen dozens of missile strikes and over 300 drone attacks on multiple targets in the past 24 hours alone. The scale of destruction is growing, with civilian infrastructure being targeted and the country's gas supply network severely disrupted.

For Zelensky, who met Trump in Washington just a day earlier, the news was a curveball. The Ukrainian president had been optimistic about Trump's willingness to back Ukraine with more military assistance. He believed that after their meeting, which took place while he was en route to Washington, he might have finally found a way out of his desperate situation.

However, in a surprise twist, it appears the US President has grown increasingly frustrated with Putin over Ukraine. On Sunday, Trump told reporters: "Do they [Russia] want Tomahawks going in their direction? I don't think so." It seems that any hope for Ukrainian military assistance is now under threat.

The issue of long-range missiles remains contentious between Russia and the United States, however. In a phone call with Putin last night, Trump agreed to meet Putin in person over Ukraine - but at whose behest was the discussion held?

As one woman who has been badly injured by Russian strikes on civilian railway carriages put it when we asked if she saw an easy way out: "A person like Putin can't be trusted."

Can you believe this?! US President Donald Trump is now questioning whether Russia wants to get bombed with Tomahawks lol. Meanwhile, Ukraine's situation is getting worse by the minute . Did he just give away on Ukrainian military assistance? I mean, 300+ drone attacks in 24 hours? That's not even a drill .

Here are some stats for you:

* Ukraine's economy has taken a hit of $10 billion since the conflict started
* 1.5 million people displaced from their homes due to fighting
* Russia has been responsible for 75% of all drone attacks on Ukrainian targets

And did you see that chart on missile strikes? It's been increasing by 30% every month! We need to get a handle on this ASAP .

Also, let's talk about Trump's meeting with Putin. What's going on here? Is the US really backing out on Ukraine's military assistance? The uncertainty is killing me .

Anyway, I think it's time for world leaders to get their acts together and provide some real support for Ukraine. This is a human crisis, not a game of politics

omg this is so messed up i cant believe trump is being pulled in 2 different directions over ukraine its like hes not even taking a clear stance on the whole thing or is he just playing both sides to get something out of it? and what about all those ppl who are getting hurt & killed every day because of this conflict? its just heartbreaking. i dont know how much more of this we can take

I'm seriously worried about what's happening in Ukraine . The situation is getting so dire and President Zelensky must be going through hell trying to find a lifeline for his country. It's disheartening that Trump's willingness to arm them with long-range missiles was suddenly called into question... like, isn't that the whole point of having a military ally?

Meanwhile, Russia's targeting civilian infrastructure is just heartbreaking . I'm thinking about all those innocent people who are getting caught in the crossfire and it's hard not to feel hopeless .

As for Trump meeting Putin again... I guess you can't trust politicians with a straight face sometimes . It feels like there's still so much going on behind closed doors and we, as citizens, are just stuck in the middle wondering what will happen next .

Ukraine needs our support right now - not just military aid, but also a loud voice for human rights and an end to this senseless violence . Can't we all just... be better?

omg i cant even imagine being in zelensky's shoes right now, ukraine is getting destroyed and trump just took away their lifeline... what was he thinking?! it makes total sense though that trump would be frustrated with putin over this, its like theyre playing a game of chicken here. but seriously, how can u trust someone who says they dont want missiles going in a certain direction if theyre gonna use them anyway? and btw what even is the deal with these phone calls between trumps team and putins team? it feels so secretive

I'm literally shaking right now thinking about this... it's like the world is watching as millions of innocent people suffer in silence. I mean, what even is Trump playing at? First he's all smiles and handshakes with Zelensky, then suddenly he's all "oh no, I don't want to get hit by Tomahawks". Can we just imagine if this was happening in our own backyard? The thought alone gives me the chills. And Putin, the big man himself, seems to be enjoying every minute of it... I'm so fed up with both these guys and their games. It's time for some real leadership, not all these backroom deals and one-on-one chats. We need action, not words, to stop this senseless slaughter.

Ugh, I'm getting a major case of déjà vu here . Remember that time when Trump was all like "I'll fix everything" and then... nothing happened? It's like he's playing hard to get with Ukraine again. And what's up with this Tomahawk missile business? Can't these guys just make up their minds?!

I mean, I get it, Putin's got some serious nerve trying to take over Ukraine and all that jazz... but can't we just give Ukraine a break for once? They're already dealing with enough chaos over there. And now this? It's like the world is watching them get picked apart piece by piece .

And don't even get me started on Trump's "Do they want Tomahawks going in their direction?" comment... dude, that's just not how diplomacy works . You can't just negotiate from a place of weakness and expect anyone to take you seriously. It's like he thinks Ukraine is some kind of pawn in his own personal game of chess .

I feel bad for Zelensky and the people of Ukraine, man... they deserve so much better than this .

OMG, did you see those stats on missile strikes yesterday? 64 missiles fired at Ukraine in the past 24 hours alone! That's a record high. And over 300 drone attacks? No wonder Zelensky is freaking out. The US President's sudden change of heart about arming Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles is a big deal, btw. According to some reports, the US has only approved ~50% of its available stockpile for Ukraine. The scale of destruction in Ukraine is growing by the hour - let's hope they get that military assistance ASAP! Meanwhile, Trump's comments about Putin's willingness to accept Tomahawk strikes are straight up confusing. Was it Putin who initiated the phone call or vice versa? I mean, we can't trust Putin with our lives, but what about Trump? Can we trust him at all? Those civilian railway carriage casualties - ouch! A whopping 75% of Ukraine's gas supply network is now offline. What a disaster zone!

OMG, what's going on with Ukraine?! I'm totally shook that Trump is now backing off on giving them those Tomahawk missiles. It's like he's got his mind changed overnight . I mean, I get it, Russia and the US are playing a game of cat and mouse here, but innocent civilians are getting caught in the middle .

Can't believe Putin is playing hardball over Ukraine. Like, what even is the point of all this? It's not like there's going to be some magical solution where everyone just gets along . I guess we're just gonna have to keep an eye on it and hope for the best .

That woman who got injured by Russian strikes had a pretty honest quote, though. Like, Putin really can't be trusted . Maybe that's why Ukraine is so desperate for help?

Ugh, I'm so done with this whole Ukraine situation . It's like Trump is playing a bad game of chess with Putin and not even thinking about the consequences. Like, what's next? Is he gonna start arm-twisting Putin for some sweet, sweet deal on trade agreements or something? And can we talk about how unstable this is all making Ukraine? I mean, they just want to be able to live their lives without being blown up by missiles, right? The whole situation just feels so... unsatisfying . And what's with Trump's comment about Putin and Tomahawks? Sounds like a major red flag to me.

I'm getting this vibe that things are gonna get really hairy for Ukraine... it feels like déjà vu all over again, you know? Reminds me of the time I was watching the news with my grandma during the Yugoslav wars and how we'd see missile strikes and wondering if anyone would come to their aid. It's like the world is stuck in this same cycle of conflict and desperation. And now with Trump and Putin having that phone call, I'm worried it might just be more of the same old back-and-forth without any real progress being made

Ugh, this is so frustrating ! I'm literally glued to the platform and this news just hit me and I'm losing my cool! Trump's backtracking on Ukraine is a total bummer. Like, what even is going on here? They were gonna arm them with Tomahawk missiles and now it's like... forget about it? This is the kind of thing that makes you wanna question everything. And can we talk about how Putin must be loving this? He must be getting his rocks off thinking he's got the upper hand here. It's just... ugh, I need a break from this news cycle

I'm still in shock that Trump is backing down from arming Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles . I mean, what's the point of even trying to support them against Russia? It feels like the US is just going to enable more Russian aggression and then wonder why things escalate further . And can we please get some clarity on who exactly was behind that phone call with Putin? Was it Trump or someone else? The lack of transparency is just frustrating . And what about all those civilians caught in the crossfire? Do they even matter to the US right now?

omg what's going on with trump and putin ?? it feels like something out of a game of Risk or whatever... anyway, i'm not surprised about trump being all uncertain now. remember when bush was in office and he was all 'we're gonna invade iraq' lol. now this is kinda like that but with russia instead... ukraine's situation is getting so dire though my heart goes out to the people there. it's crazy how politics can be so unpredictable

OMG, this is such a bummer for Ukraine . I mean, they were really counting on some solid support from the US and now it's all up in the air . Trump's like "do Russia want missiles?"... that's not exactly reassuring, you know? . And what's going on with the phone call between him and Putin, was that even a good idea? . I feel so bad for those people in Ukraine who are suffering through this . Like, how can Putin be trusted at all when innocent civilians are getting hurt ?

OMG, I'm literally feeling so bad for Ukraine right now . Like, what's going on with this situation?! One minute they're getting military assistance from the US and the next thing you know, it's being pulled back? It's just not fair to the people who are suffering over there. I mean, can't we all just get along and help each other out instead of making things worse? The fact that Putin is still targeting civilians and Ukraine's gas supply network is just heartbreaking . And poor Zelensky, he was really counting on Trump to have his back . I'm sending all my positive vibes to the Ukrainian people and hoping for a peaceful resolution soon .